County woman sentenced for drugs

Deanne Johnson

newsroom@reviewonline.com

LISBON — A Salem woman who was living in a home where methamphetamines were being manufactured in August 2016 was sentenced by Judge C. Ashley Pike in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to 18 months in prison.

Marie L. Whitman, 46, North Ellsworth Avenue, previously pleaded guilty to illegal assembly or possession of the chemicals for manufacture of drugs and two counts of possession of drugs. Court documents indicate she had trace amounts of both methamphetamines and cocaine in her possession.

Assistant County Prosecutor Tammie Riley Jones said she is requesting the dismissal of count one of the indictment, a charge of illegal manufacture of drugs, which is a second-degree felony. Although Whitman has mostly a misdemeanor record and few charges in the past decade, Jones said she also was a knowing participant in what was happening at the home, where there were others staying as well.

Whitman’s defense attorney, James Wise, talked about the toxicity of the situation when someone is mixing some mental illness problems with substance abuse. Whitman told Pike she tried to tell the police the truth when they came to the house and gave them permission, but they still charged her with making meth.

Whitman has credit for 387 days already served, which leaves her with about 160 days remaining.

When investigators entered the home with a search warrant they reportedly found the chemicals for making meth such as butane lighter fluid and pseudoephedrine. Additionally, there were other meth-manufacturing items found outside in a trash can.